Anna Maria J Ruby | Search NASA

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Students Planting Research Of Use To Space (SPROUTS) Networking and Engagement of Interns at Kennedy Space Center

While Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has had summer interns in the life sciences for many years, beginning in 2016, the internship program was re-envisioned. Rather than having many interns in the summer with numerous innovative small projects created primarily for this purpose, the current model is to offer internship opportunities every semester (Spring, Summer, and Fall), so that research is continuous and sustained. Since 2016 we have had 64 internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of space crop production and microgravity simulation support. Some students have participated in more than one opportunity, so 52 separate individuals have participated in this program. While interns primarily worked with individual mentors on a main project, most also worked on group projects with other interns or developed smaller secondary projects on their own initiative. In addition, all interns participated in a weekly Lunch, Learn, and Discuss seminar series where they were encouraged to present their research, learn from scientists at KSC, and engage with members of the space life sciences community. When the face-to-face spring internship of 2020 ended prematurely, we resumed the weekly seminar series as a virtual event, and this led to the concept of engaging former interns. Current and former interns were invited to participate in the on-going virtual series, and 46 asked to be included on the mailing list. Our current seminar series involves remote seminars or hosted discussions from contacts within and outside of the agency, and engages a large network of current scientists and former interns with an weekly participation averaging 40-50 people. Speakers include experts from industry, academia, and other space agencies working on topics of interest to KSC space life science researchers. In addition, this series has served as a brain trust and brainstorming mechanism for KSC scientists to invite and discuss new ideas and concepts. The advent of remote work and virtual platforms has allowed us to engage with interns in a new way that will continue as future interns are integrated into this network of individuals interested in space research. This work is funded by NASA’s Space Biology Program.

Internships↗

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NASA’s Ground-Based Microgravity Simulation Facility

Since opportunities to conduct experiments in space are scarce, various microgravity simulators and analogs have been widely used in space biology ground studies. Even though microgravity simulators do not produce all of the biological effects observed in the true microgravity environment, they provide alternative test platforms that are effective, affordable, and readily available to facilitate microgravity research. The Microgravity Simulation Support Facility (MSSF) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has been established for conducting short duration experiments, typically less than 1 month, utilizing a variety of microgravity simulation devices for research at different gravity levels. The simulators include, but are not limited to, 2D Clinostats, 3D Clinostats, Random Positioning Machines, and Rotating Wall Vessels. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of current MSSF capabilities, research conducted in MSSF, new technology developments, customized sample holder designs, and the physical characteristics of these microgravity simulators.

Ye Zhang↗